Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'settling down' in Japanese, covering meanings like calming down, establishing a stable life, and sinking to the bottom.
To become calm, quiet, or peaceful after being excited, noisy, or restless.
The most common and versatile verb for 'settling down' in the sense of calming down emotionally, becoming quiet, or settling into a place or situation.
The excited children finally settled down.
I've pretty much settled down into my new job.
Means 'to become quiet' or 'to die down', often used for noise, wind, or commotion. More about external quietness than internal calm.
Used when something like a dispute, pain, or commotion subsides or is brought under control. More formal/literary.
To start living a quiet, stable life, often after getting married, buying a house, or stopping a wandering lifestyle.
Literally 'to harden one's body', this idiom means to settle down in life, often by getting a stable job and marrying. Implies a conscious decision to become responsible.
I'm thinking it's about time to settle down.
Also used for settling into a stable life or place. Often used with 結婚して (after getting married) or 一つの場所に (in one place).
For particles or sediment to sink and accumulate at the bottom of a liquid.
落ち着く (ochitsuku) is used for people's emotions or situations becoming calm and stable. 静まる (shizumaru) is for external noise or commotion dying down. Use 落ち着く for 'I need to settle down' (emotionally), and 静まる for 'the room settled down' (became quiet).
The English phrase 'settle down!' as a command to be quiet is not directly translated. Use 静かにして (shizuka ni shite) or 落ち着いて (ochitsuite) depending on whether you mean 'be quiet' or 'calm down'.
嵐が静まるまで待ちましょう。
Let's wait until the storm settles down.
騒動がようやく収まった。
The disturbance finally settled down.
結婚して、小さな町に落ち着いた。
I got married and settled down in a small town.
Literally 'to settle one's hips', meaning to settle down in a place for a long time. Emphasizes staying put.
I settled down in this town and started a business.
The sand settled down to the bottom.